CIGNA disability insurance can be a boon to small business owners and a plus for employees. The Disability Management Sourcebook says that one in seven people under the age of 65 will be disabled for five years or more. What if an injury prevented you from participating fully in your business for several months? The results could be disastrous, putting an end to your business. Also, no one can depend solely on social security disability; it simply isn't enough for most people to live on.

However, CIGNA disability plans protect against all of that, providing an income when you're unable to work. There are two general types of CIGNA disability plans: short- and long-term disability. CIGNA short-term disability covers you for up to a year. Long-term disability covers you for many years. To determine how much disability insurance you require, calculate how long you could manage without an income based on your current assets. Also, consider any additional medical costs you might have. Once you've decided whether you need long- or short-term disability and how large that policy should be, here's how to buy your CIGNA policy:

1. Research CIGNA disability insurance plans.

2. Seek out CIGNA disability insurance rates.

3. Buy your CIGNA disability insurance policy.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get useful advise on employee disability issues from CIGNA

As a business owner, it's important that you understand the legalities involved in employee disability and disability insurance. CIGNA offers a number of tools that can supply you with this crucial information.

I recommend: The Managers' Disability Toolkit from CIGNA contains all the information you need to know about what to do and expect when an employee acquires a serious injury or illness. If you're a health care professional, the Physicians' Disability Toolkit can help you understand which of your patients or clients qualify for a disability claim or benefits.

Read up on disability insurance from CIGNA

As any smart shopper knows, it's always wise to research products carefully. This is true with disability insurance, too. Fortunately, there are lots of great places to see what customers have to say about their disability and other insurance policies with CIGNA.

I recommend: FreeAdvice provides graphs and pie charts of customer satisfaction, plus written reviews by CIGNA customers. Epinions.com also offers customer reviews about CIGNA insurance.

Obtain CIGNA disability insurance rates

There are several ways to obtain a CIGNA disability insurance rate. You can call or visit in person a local CIGNA agent; or you can hop online and fill out a web form within a few minutes. Some websites allow you to see quotes not just from CIGNA, but from competing insurance companies as well.

I recommend: USInsuranceOnline allows individuals or small businesses to obtain quotes from a variety of companies offering disability, allowing you to compare prices and policies. You might also try MostChoice, which offers a similar service, looking specifically at disability policies by CIGNA and others.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Unfortunately, no insurance company will cover 100% of your income. CIGNA disability, like other brands of disability, wants you to go back to work as soon as you're able. Usually, coverage is about 50% or 60% of your gross income.